Fermentation time

I am completely new to mead, but we put a batch together using a basic recipe that someone told my brew partner. 1 gallon honey, 4.25 gallon water (.25 to account for a little boil off), 2tsp nutrient, 2tsp energizer, 2 packages of montrachet.

We brought water to boil and left it there for 10 mins. We then turned off the heat, added the honey stirring well and cooled to pitching temp with a wort chiller. The mead has been going strong for over a week now at ~ 69 degrees. We were told it should finish is 6 weeks since we used the energizer and nutrient, does this sound about right? I will of course use the hydrometer to verify its finished, but wanted to get an idea of about how long I should wait before I start taking readings.

Once it's done, is there anything special I need to do such as degassing etc? I plan on bottling in sanitized wine bottles and serving it still. Also, once bottled for a still mead, does it need some aging time or is is ready immediately?

Thanks in advance for any input.

Mead fermentations that get proper nutrients, and get aeration early in the fermentation to build the yeast up, will often finish in 1-3 weeks.

You do want the CO2 out before bottling. It can be done with a de-gasser, or with a vacuum pump, or you can just wait for a few weeks (especially if you let it sit at room temp) while it clears. That will typically leave it nicely still.

For a traditional mead, such as you are making, it will probably continue to improve in the bottle (or in bulk) as it ages for at least 1-2 years before it reaches its peak.

Medsen